The future of young Cypriots in a Starbucks coffee cup

My article published on Cafe Babel. 

Unfortunately the link is broken and I am re-posting the article in its entirety below.

Superstitions and Traditions in Cyprus

Cyprus is known for its summers, its gastronomy and the political division the splits the island in two. What is not so well-known is that it is an island rich in folklore, tales of kings and queens, crusaders and goblins and various superstitions. These stories have been woven into the oral history of the island. Despite the political division, and in spite of the religious and linguistic differences of the two communities, both Greek and Turkish-speaking Cypriots share many of the same traditions and superstitious beliefs.

In 1974 following a right-wing group that attempted to overthrow the Cypriot government and unite the island with Greece, Turkey invaded, stating it was needed for protection of the Turkish Cypriots and occupied the northern third of the island. Since then the island has been unhappily divided into two parts. Despite progress being made with the two sides inching closer to a solution the island still remains divided.

In 2003 the Green Line dividing the island was opened up meaning that Cypriots from both communities could visit parts the island that was cut off to them, visit the homes they fled, but also rediscover ‘the others’ and allowing them to realise that ‘they are just like us’. Though politics divides, folklore and stories passed down from generations, like family heirlooms, bring people together. In Cyprus this was no exception.

Some Cypriots, feeling more modern and worldly, brush such tales aside and say that superstitious people are living in the past. What they do not realise is that stories and superstitions were ways people interpreted the world, in a time not so long ago when people had no electricity let alone Google; when there were no libraries and even when people could not read. Rules, rites and regulations were forged through anecdotes and stories that become superstitions and traditions.

Michael, a Cypriot living in London, gave me an example of this. ‘People used to believe in tree gods; such gods lived in trees. Today people touch wood for protection. This tradition came from then and has survived from the ancient times to the modern.’

Another example is when older Cypriots burn olive leaves to smoke out evil spirits. Young Cypriots still do this today… but instead of smoking out spirits they do it to clear the air of negative energy. The intention is the same but it’s the words that have changed. Superstitions, like habits, are hard to break and so they come back in the form traditions with a more modern flavour.

Traditions are important because they hold a mirror to the past and show what people used to believe it. Even as society modernises and people’s world is no longer confined to their village but to the whole planet, superstitions still make their way even into the most modern of devices. Michael told me about how he downloaded an app onto his iPhone which was the amulet for protection against the evil eye. The apps developers had taken an old superstition and modernised it. ‘I don’t particularly believe in it’ Michael explained ‘but I have it anyway’.

When I asked if he had the actual blue-glass amulet against the evil eye anywhere else, other than on his phone, he answered vaguely and took a moment to think about it. ‘Maybe I do… under my bed, but I need to check.’ What he meant was under his mattress. Under the bed people find other things. And I don’t mean dust bunnies!

The blue glass amulet is sold everywhere on the island for a Euro or less or as an expensive jewel. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots wear the amulet as bracelet or necklace, pin it on babies, or in hang up in their homes to protect against jealousy.

I talked to Paul, a Cypriot living in London, about how he felt about superstitions. ‘I don’t believe in any of it really’ he admitted. But then as if remembering something he added ‘but come to think of it… I do have one blue talisman in my living room. And even one smaller one my car.’ Paul does not have a definitive belief in superstitions but goes along with it ‘because everyone else does and so do I’ he said. When I asked him why he has two amulets if he does not believe in the eye he said that ‘it reduces the cost of home insurance!’

Nikki, a teacher living in Barcelona, gave a similar response to Paul. ‘I have an ammatopetra (amulet). Someone gave it to me as a gift. I wear it occasionally. But I don’t believe in it. I have just one friend in Cyprus who is superstitious. Very superstitious. But that’s it’.

Stephanos feels that superstitions run deeper. ‘In Cyprus you have large social circles with varying degrees of friendship rather than the smaller closer-knit friendship groups, the type you find in northern Europe’ he explains. ‘Because of these close and distant friendships, with many people coming and going from the friendship circle there can certainly be a level of jealousy. So I think there is something to the evil eye.’

When I asked him if this was the same for both Greek and Turkish Cypriots he admitted that he was not sure. ‘Because of the division we have not been exposed to each other. I cannot say.’

Mike, a Cypriot living in Cardiff, admitted that he is very superstitious. ‘I wouldn’t say that many of my Cypriot friends in the UK are superstitious, but my friends in Cyprus, both Greek and Turkish are more superstitious than those abroad’.

The blue talisman against the evil eye is common throughout both of Cyprus’ communities, as is Tasseography, better known as coffee reading, which is practiced by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots who want to know what their future will hold.

It is usually an older lady who reads the coffee. She does this by having the coffee drinker turn the coffee cup upside down, allowing the mud-like coffee substance to fall onto the saucer. She reads the symbols in the cup, which form shapes such as people, animals or objects.

When I asked Michael about coffee reading he said that this practice is no longer that common with young people. ‘I do not know anyone who does this anymore’ he said giving me an add look. ‘Maybe people do it for fun. Anyway, people in Cyprus drink coffee from Starbucks now. There is not much you can read with a Pumpkin Spice Latte!’

‘What about the Turkish Cypriot community?’ I asked.

‘I think they like Pumpkin Spice lattes too!’ Michael laughed.

However Mike had a different perspective on coffee reading. ‘I believe in it and I can read it. My yiayia (grandmother) taught me how’ he said. Moments later my phone beeped. Mike had text me some pictures of a coffee cup with a perfectly shaped heart in the coffee. I loved the image so much I was tempted to believe it came out that way. And why not! Not all superstition is bad.

‘I do not think there is a difference between the two communities’ said Mike. ‘Superstitions came from generations before the war’ and so why would they change now?

Nese in Famagusta echoed the same sentiment as Mike. ‘We have similar superstitions as well as other ones that are exactly the same. We lived together for a long time.’ She then gave examples of phrases of Turkish origin both Greek and Turkish Cypriots say when asking for a blessing or protection: Mashallah meaning ‘May God bless you’ and Ishallah meaning ‘if only’. And when they want to prove a point and say ‘just like this’ Cypriots would say ‘işte böyle’. There are also common swear words but those are for another occasion and not for this article!

‘Superstitions are something we learnt from our parents and grandparents’ said Novber. Even though she is not superstitious, she alluded to people who were but was not specific as to how. Maria, a painter from Nicosia made the same point. She is not superstitious ‘in contrast to everybody else in Cyprus’.

In speaking to people about superstitions two trends emerged. The first trend is that Cypriots, and specifically the young generation swing from one extreme to the other: they are either not superstitious at all or very superstitious. There is no middle ground. And if people are superstitious or believe in the traditions then they are the minority. But even this minority seemed elusive, Novber, Maria and Nikki, though not superstitious knew of people who were but were not specific as to how precisely. To them superstitions was a passing cloud, something they may notice.

The second trend amplifies a portion of the first; that Cypriots living abroad, such as Michael in London and Nikki in Barcelona, have no leaning towards any superstitions or traditions at all. Coffee reading? What coffee reading? The only coffee reading they know of is an interesting book while sipping latte.

The division on how Cypriots interpret superstitions is not between Turkish and Greek-speaking Cypriots but rather between Cypriots living in Cyprus who may dip into it occasionally in comparison with Cypriots living abroad.

To the Cypriots living in Cyprus it appears that belief in folklore and superstitions are so common that they are no longer noticeable. All Cypriots said that they owned an amulet against the evil eye even if they were vague on how they used it or where the kept it. Even if Cypriots could not agree on the way to solve the division they all agreed that the traditions and tales where the same for both communities long before the division, so why would they change and why would they divide the people now?